<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Kill The King by ukenceto</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26242204">Kill The King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukenceto/pseuds/ukenceto'>ukenceto</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love beyond the bones [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gears of War (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, One Shot, Retrospective</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:42:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,410</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26242204</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukenceto/pseuds/ukenceto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Some of Del's thoughts throughout the evens of the fourth game.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "JD" Fenix/Delmont "Del" Walker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love beyond the bones [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1025247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Kill The King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>***<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Del was scared.</p><p> </p><p>He had just told JD his apprehension to continue wasn’t about that, and really, it wasn’t; he was going to follow him into the bowels of the mine, regardless of what horrors waited ahead.</p><p> </p><p>Even if he doubted it was a good plan for the three of them to do it alone, he realized there was no option to wait.</p><p> </p><p>Not unless they wanted their fears to come true.</p><p> </p><p>Because while descending into a place likely filled with horrific monsters made all his instincts scream in protest, death wasn’t what Del feared most on that night.</p><p> </p><p>It did, of course, hold up pretty high on the list, but most of all it wasn’t the possibility of his life ending that had his throat in a vice grip.</p><p> </p><p>It was JD, it was Marcus. Marcus, who was down there, and who they could only hope to reach in time, if it wasn’t too late already. Something he’d been desperately trying not to think about, even as they rushed on ahead, running after the Snatcher, pummeling through any resistance along the way.</p><p> </p><p>He had lost a father once already, and didn’t ever want it to happen again.</p><p> </p><p>And JD? His best friend, the one person he loved above anyone else, that he would readily give his own life for if he had to.</p><p> </p><p>He feared what would happen to him if they were too late for Marcus.</p><p> </p><p>Shifting worriedly as the old gears of the lift creaked in protest under the ancient machinery’s weight, he cast out a silent prayer to whatever might be listening that JD doesn’t find out what that kind of loss felt like tonight.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***<br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>It was almost too late.</p><p> </p><p>Almost, but not quite; by some sheer, daredevil luck, Marcus was back to the land of the living, even if damn near coughing his lungs out until he could draw in breath again.</p><p> </p><p>JD was on his knees next to him, back hunched, but his voice filled the small cavern they were in. It was jittery with nervous excitement, with barely suppressed disbelief – and until a moment ago, desperation.</p><p> </p><p>Del had watched Marcus’ ashen face, immobile form all frozen in terror, JD’s struggle to wake him, thinking there was no chance.</p><p> </p><p>But for once, fate had proven him wrong. Marcus was sitting down, trying to get back his bearings, JD’s hand clasped firmly around his arm. And Del wasn’t sure if there’s been something out there, in the dark, that had heard his plea; but decided on a silent thanks nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***<br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>Speyer was surprisingly beautiful for a ghost town.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe just slightly less so than the Fort Reval village had been, but while that one seemed almost a step away from being one with nature, with ivy and overgrown greenery in-between the cracks of stone buildings and ancient aqueduct basins, Speyer remembered people still.</p><p> </p><p>It was empty, but as a city that’s been along the lifeline of power coming from the Tollen Dam power plant, it was peppered with derelict factories and abandoned vehicles, boarded up windows signifying someone had held out inside it ‘till the end. Maybe even planned to return, one day.</p><p> </p><p>The atmosphere between them all was definitely very different from the moment when they’d first set foot in Marcus’ lands though.</p><p> </p><p>Still surcharged with that kind of nervous energy one experiences amidst battle, uncertain when or where the enemy could strike from; but far from the terse silence that had shrouded JD’s shoulders like a cloak, and nearly radiated from Marcus’ stance alone.</p><p> </p><p>They had gotten Over It.</p><p> </p><p>Fully deserving of the capital letters in his mind, Del realized that he had thought up of many ways the great big dispute between father and son could’ve finally been resolved, and this wasn’t it.</p><p> </p><p>He’d expected more shouting, for starters.</p><p> </p><p>But admittedly, almost dying on several instances within a couple of days did get the tendency to put things into perspective.</p><p> </p><p>JD and Marcus talked again, without animosity or blame, kept at a nearly instinctual way of protecting each other amidst battle. Del knew it wasn’t just the two of them returning to a previous point of understanding, but actually finally moving on too.</p><p> </p><p>Hell, Marcus had, on more than few instances, outright praised them for the way they fought the Swarm. Certainly not something that had come easy – Del doubted Marcus had ever wanted to see either of them having to use a gun, but since the threat was here… Their much debated COG training had come in handy.</p><p> </p><p>And JD had been practically beaming with relief since the mine incident, obviously ready to put a lot of things behind them once that he was certain his dad was alive and well again.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe not so well, honestly. But that was all of them – bruised and battered, yet still standing, still ready to fight.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“We should probably stop to change your bandage, while it’s still quiet.” JD spoke, pausing in a secluded alleyway between several buildings.</p><p> </p><p>He was right, it had been quiet since the brief commotion at the entrance, that had each of them lost in thought after seeing how the Swarm had managed to affect Jinn’s bot. Del doubted that would last long though.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, but make it quick.” Marcus was keeping his voice low, but Del could still pinpoint a note of pain in his gruff tone.</p><p> </p><p>And that was another thing which slammed into him too hard and too viscerally all of a sudden. He was so used to Marcus’ stoicism, save for the instances in which his hurt showed through his words, but it had never been on such a physical level.</p><p> </p><p>They were all running on adrenaline and survival instinct since the night in the Swarm attacked; but he wondered how much more acutely did it all affect Marcus, whose body had seen more than enough war already.</p><p> </p><p>“I really hope there’s nothing nasty on those quills. This looks pretty bad.” JD was biting his lip, a frown etched deep between his brows; seeing the puncture wound on Marcus’ shoulder as the bandage was removed made Del’s stomach twist as well.</p><p> </p><p>The flesh was reddish and the center was dark with coagulated blood, the bandage itself soaked, probably because any arm motion Marcus had done since they’d last changed it was likely aggravating the injury further.</p><p> </p><p>Del hated seeing him hurt, but there was nothing more they could do about it until help arrived. Once they could call for it, that was.</p><p> </p><p>“Wouldn’t be the worst thing that’s hit me.” He couldn’t say if Marcus was trying to reassure JD, himself, or just making a general observation, though he still saw him flinch a bit as the antiseptic reached his skin. “Just tighten it up well, it has to hold.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will dad, don’t worry.” JD’s tone was kind, his hands careful but firm as he continued dressing the wound.</p><p> </p><p>Del hadn’t seen the two of them like this in too long.</p><p> </p><p>He had tried, on multiple instances, to get them to sit down and have a proper conversation again after he and JD had left the army. But Marcus hadn’t come to Fort Umson, and JD had kept stalling, saying they would go to the estate sooner or later.</p><p> </p><p>Once they made it back to New Ephyra, Del knew things would change. It had already begun, and along with their world turning on its head again, with the monsters of the past crawling back out, there was no time for old arguments.</p><p> </p><p>He shuddered, thinking of everyone from the village that they’d lost overnight.</p><p> </p><p>Life had suddenly taken on a nightmarish turn, and most of all, Del was grateful he didn’t have to face the next day alone, because there was no waking up this time.</p><p> </p><p>Adjusting the grip on his lancer, he remained alert, waiting for Marcus to clasp his armor back on. They would make it, all of them.</p><p> </p><p>He had to believe that, even if he was afraid.</p><p> </p><p>“Ready?” JD tapped him on the back, and Del caught a glimpse at his smile as he passed him by, taking point.</p><p> </p><p>“Lead the way.” He turned his head in agreement, and checked that Kait and Marcus were also good to go. For a moment, he met Marcus’ eyes, some form of wordless understanding passing between them.</p><p> </p><p>They would walk, and they would fight.</p><p> </p><p>And everything else was going to be okay, for now.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just some bits and pieces that came up to me late tonight.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>